View full sizeJet-Vac agreed to reimburse more than 100 N.J. municipalities to settle claims of alleged over billing, state authorities said today.Screenshot of jetvacinc.com

TRENTON — A sewer cleaning company has agreed to reimburse $158,226 to more than 100 New Jersey municipalities to settle allegations that it engaged in a pattern of over billing, state authorities said today.

The company, Jet-Vac of Wharton, contracts with the state for the sale and servicing of various equipment and, as part of that work, agreed to offer similar goods and services to municipalities or other public agencies at the same prices it offered the state.

But state authorities alleged that from February 2003 until the middle of 2007, Jet-Vac sent invoices to municipalities and public agencies with hourly rates and charges that were higher than those allowed under its state contract, or not allowed at all.

“The type of unlawful conduct alleged here victimizes every New Jersey resident by potentially affecting our tax rates and undermining consumers’ trust in state contractors,” Eric Kanefsky, the acting director of the state Division of Consumer Affairs, said in a statement.

A representative of the company did not immediately return a call for comment.

Under the settlement agreement signed in February, the company agreed to reimburse 108 municipalities and public agencies and its former vice president and general manager, Michael Rattay, agreed to leave the company and has been barred from state contracts. The company also agreed to pay a $129,000 related to Rattay's conduct.

All of the reimbursements checks have been distributed.

The company will also provide the state every six months with a current list of all government contracts, as well as a certification that Rattay was not involved in any way with the contracts. If the company violates the agreement, its state contracts could be canceled and the company could be barred from doing any future work with the state.